


Together

by Astrid_Midnight



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Angst, Cloti Endless Summer 2020, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25407670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrid_Midnight/pseuds/Astrid_Midnight
Summary: No matter how many times they’re torn apart, they always find their way back to each other.Written for Endless Summer 2020. Day 6 Prompt: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”- ‘The Colour Purple’ (1985).
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 10
Kudos: 49





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 6 of Endless Summer 2020!!
> 
> Prompt: "The more things change, the more they stay the same."- ‘The Colour Purple’ (1985).
> 
> My cloti fic at the beginning of the week was pretty angsty, so here’s something that's still angsty but with a little more hope! :D

Cloud knew there wasn’t much hope. The chances of Tifa _actually_ coming like he asked were very slim. Even though she had agreed to meet up with him at the well, he wouldn’t be surprised if she decided not to show. Cloud didn’t exactly have the best reputation with the other kids in Nibelheim and if that ever made its way to Tifa, she would probably think showing up wasn’t a good idea.

He knew Tifa wasn’t like that, though. Despite the fact that they weren’t that close, Cloud knew what a kind heart Tifa had. She was always eager to help others and she never went back on a promise or agreement. Cloud had absolute faith that Tifa would show up, even if she was just a few minutes late.

However, it became more than just a few minutes. Cloud had been sitting at the well for about fifteen minutes past the agreed meet-up time and there was no sign of Tifa showing up. He began to shiver from the cold. He should’ve known that Tifa wouldn’t give him the time of day. It was a nice thought, but of course Tifa wouldn’t waste her time on him.

He sighed; maybe he should head home…

“Heya,” a familiar soft voice called out. He started in surprise and turned around to see Tifa peeking out from behind the well, a soft smile on her face. Cloud’s heart leapt in his chest; she really showed up.

Not missing a beat, Tifa had asked Cloud what he wanted to talk about. After he had told her was leaving for Midgar, she seemed to be… disappointed, upset even. However, she seemed to have perked up when he said was planning to join SOLDIER.

To Cloud’s surprise, Tifa had asked him for a favour. She looked up at the starry night sky. “When we’re older and you’re a famous SOLDIER… if I’m ever in a pinch, promise you’ll come and save me?”

Which wasn’t what Cloud was expecting. He was the last person Tifa should have been asking for help if she was in trouble. The incident on Mount Nibel was a clear indication of that which Tifa… probably didn’t remember.

“Uhhh-”, Cloud said, not knowing how to respond.

“Come on, just once!”, she insisted.

Cloud frowned. There was no telling what would happen in the future or if he would be cut out for helping Tifa.

But if she thought he could do it, who was he to say no to her?

“Okay. I promise.”

* * *

Not too long after making that promise, Cloud had to leave for Midgar. He hated having to leave his mother or Tifa. But if he wanted to be a great hero, to be there when Tifa needed him, he had to do this. He had to 'take the leap', as it were, and try to make it in SOLDIER. Only then could he be the hero he wanted to be, the one that Tifa deserved.

There was no mistaking the look of sadness on Tifa’s face as she watched him leave with all the other boys from their village. Before he could stop himself, he gave her a small wave goodbye. Tifa seemed to be caught by surprise but, after a moment, she smiled through her sorrow and waved back at him.

 _I’ll come back, Tifa_.

_I’ll come back._

_We’ll find each other again someday._

* * *

His feet pounded up the stairs of the reactor, hot tears burning his face. His soul was torn to pieces when he realised that there was nothing he could do to help his mother. She was gone. Just like everyone else. Because of Sephiroth. Zangan told him that Zack was heading to the reactor to help Mr Lockhart, who had gone to the reactor to confront Sephiroth. Cloud knew that nothing good would come from anyone choosing to fight Sephiroth but his heart almost stopped when he heard that Tifa had gone into the mountains as well. He had to go. He had to help Zack and Tifa. Even if there was no hope of stopping Sephiroth, they had to get everyone away from him.

Everything seemed like a twisted nightmare when he saw Zack and Tifa sprawled out across the reactor. Without thinking, Cloud grabbed Zack’s sword and cried out as he went to attack Sephiroth. All of his emotions building up in the last hour came to a head as he ran through the man that had taken everything from him and his hometown. Cloud couldn’t help a twisted smirk of satisfaction as he watched Sephiroth crumple to the ground.

When it seemed like the former hero wasn’t getting up, he bolted back down the steps and dropped at Tifa’s side. The entire top half of her body was covered in blood and Cloud could see the very long gash across her torso. He knew exactly who was responsible for it. Pushing down his anger, Cloud carefully cradled Tifa in his arms, being attentive to not jostle her wound. The movement made her flinch in pain but she showed no sign of regaining consciousness.

He laid her down away from the stairs and took a quick look at her wound. To Cloud’s relief the gash wasn’t too deep and, while definitely painful, he was grateful that it would easily heal with medical attention. He checked Tifa’s breathing and, despite it being shallow and laboured, it was comforting to hear some sign that she was alive

Cloud let himself breathe for a moment.

He couldn’t believe how helpless he was. If it wasn’t for his weakness, he told himself, he would’ve reached the reactor much sooner. He could’ve stopped Tifa from getting hurt in the first place. Two years ago, he had promised he would be there for her if she was in trouble but he couldn’t even reach in time.

He wasn’t worthy of being her hero.

But he still wanted to do everything he could to help.

_Just hold on, Tifa. Even if I’m not strong enough, I’m gonna do everything I can to protect you._

* * *

It seemed liked it was going to be another day for Tifa as she walking past the train station and back to the bar. The upcoming mission at the reactor weighed heavily on her mind and she told her friends that she needed a while to clear her head. As she was walking back, she began to feel the rain pelt down on her. She shivered and wrapped her hands around her bare arms. Of all the days to leave her coat at home.

She was going to walk past the train station when she heard low groaning. She turned and saw a few people surrounding a blond man who was sitting on the ground with some sort of weapon lying next to him. They seemed to be trying to get his attention but the man wasn’t acknowledging them. Seeing that something was clearly wrong, she approached the small crowd that began to disperse.

“Is everything alright?”

A man looked at her and shook his head helplessly. “We just found this guy sitting here. Thought he might be lost but he doesn’t seem to be aware of anything.”

Tifa looked down at the stranger in pity. She knew the feeling of being lost and alone all too well…

“Let me try,” she said without thinking. The man shrugged and stepped away to allow her to kneel down in front of the stranger. His head was hanging low, resting on his chest. At first, Tifa thought he was asleep but she heard him lowly muttering intangible words. “Sir? Are you alright?” No response. Tifa slowly reached out for the man’s shoulder, gently shaking it. “Hey, can you hear me?”

Before she knew it, his hand shot up to grab hers that was resting on his shoulder. For someone who didn’t seem to be aware of himself seconds before, he now had a tight grip on her hand. The blond man slowly raised his head and opened his eyes for Tifa to see-

 _Mako eyes_ , Tifa instantly thought. Only certain people had those kind of eyes… she looked at the clothes the man was wearing, the _sword_ he was carrying, and everything clicked into place.

Tifa felt her heartbeat rapidly quicken as she had no idea what to do. This was a SOLDIER and all he seemed to be doing was holding eye contact with her. Vague memories brought her back to five years ago, when Shinra took away everything she cared about. And now, here she was, letting her guard down in front of a SOLDIER. Who _knows_ what he could do to her?

“T-Tifa…?”, the man mumbled.

The mention of her name made Tifa’s breath catch in her throat. How did he know her name? She had thought her role within AVALANCHE was well hidden but if a SOLDIER knew her name- This was _not_ good.

“What?”, she whispered. “What did you say?”

The man’s hand slid down hers to grip her wrist. His eyes seemed to become clearer. “Tifa!”, he exclaimed with distinct clarity.

This wasn’t how Tifa expected this to go but this man seemed to be under impression that he… knew her, if the way he was calling her name was anything to go by. But she didn’t know him, did she? She took another look at the man, this time more at his features. The mako eyes told her nothing but the man’s facial structure, the spiky blond hair. They both seemed distinct and familiar to her. There was only one man that held the features of the stranger in front of her. Someone she didn’t think she would ever see again.

Her eyes widened at the realisation. “Wh- Cloud?!” As soon as the name left her lips, Cloud clutched his head and let out a sharp cry of pain. Concerned, Tifa took his other shoulder with her free hand. “Cloud! What’s wrong?!”

Not responding to her question, Cloud shot up from where he was sitting, Tifa immediately following suit. He didn’t speak for a long while but Cloud stood looking down at the ground, occasionally shaking his head. Tifa kept her eyes on him, hoping he would snap out whatever stupor he was in.

Cloud looked down at the ground, seeing his sword next to him. Tifa let go of his shoulders and she leaned down to pick up his sword, stepping back a couple of steps as he settled it on his back. He looked back at Tifa and sighed heavily. “Hey, Tifa. It’s been a while.”

Despite what had just transpired, Tifa couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, it really has been.” The man smiled back at her. Tifa folded her arms and looked at Cloud at with a worried expression. “Are you okay? You looked like you were hurt.”

Cloud shrugged nonchalantly and waved her off. “Just a headache. I’m fine now.”

Tifa frowned but Cloud’s expression didn’t falter. “If you say so.” She shook her head. “It’s been so long! What are you doing here?”

“Looking for work.”

“Work?”

“Not with Shinra anymore,” he muttered, looking off to the side.

_So, he made into SOLDIER like he always dreamed? That’s really something. But if he's not with them anymore…_

“Then, where are you staying?”

Cloud shrugged. “Nowhere. Gotta make enough money first.”

Tifa’s eyes widened. “What? So, you don’t have anywhere to go?” Cloud shook his head silently. Tifa looked in the direction of Seventh Heaven. “My place isn’t too far from here. Why don’t you come stay for a while? At least then you’re off the streets.”

Cloud waved his hands in front himself. “You don’t have to do that, Tifa. I’m not planning to stay in Midgar for long and I-”

Tifa stepped forward. “It’s honestly no problem!” She paused for a moment, wringing her hands together nervously. Even if Cloud was planning on moving on out of Midgar soon, she didn’t want him to have to stay out in the cold. “Look, some friends of mine have… some work, and they need all the help they can get. I can put in a good word for you!”

“Something tells me it’s a little more than ‘some work’.” Tifa swallowed nervously. “Look, I’m a merc now, whatever you and your friends need help with, I’m sure I can take it. As long as I get paid, of course.”

Tifa looked down but showed a small smile. “Of course.” She looked back up him. “So, you want to come with?”

Cloud smiled back. “Sure. Lead the way.”

“Will do!”

Tifa began walking back to Seventh Heaven and, true to his word, Cloud was walking by her side. It had been so long since they had last seen each other that she thought she would never seen him again. She had no idea what had gone on the seven years since Cloud left the village for Shinra and how he achieved his dream of joining SOLDIER, but Tifa was proud nonetheless. Though, she did wonder what prompted Cloud to suddenly want to leave Midgar.

Either way, Tifa was more than happy to see a familiar face, even if he did seem to have changed in some ways. She had no idea what became of him, especially after the destruction of their hometown but she was relieved that he seemed to be safe and sound. Tifa didn’t want an old friend to be wandering around town with nowhere to go and even if he didn’t want to stay after the job, she was grateful to see him again.

Besides, what were the odds of them finding each other?

* * *

_She lost him._

The thought tormented her as she kneeled in front of Cloud’s wheelchair, sobbing as she buried her face into his lap. The doctor said that there was no cure for mako poisoning and she knew all too well what that meant for Cloud. That didn’t stop her from begging him to talk, to show he could hear her, to come back to her.

It was like how she found Cloud at the train station, but much, much worse. Back then, Cloud instantly snapped out of whatever trance he was in once she found him. He stood up from where he was sitting and seemed to be back to normal.

But now it seemed like he was really… _gone_.

 _Maybe he was always gone_ , a voice sneered at Tifa. She knew something was off about him ever since they first found each other. It made too much sense. Despite their closeness on their journey, there always seemed to be this ever-growing chasm between them. Whenever there seemed to be a sliver of familiarity with Cloud, it was soon replaced by something else. It only contributed to the fear that there was something darker going on with him.

She had tried holding onto hope when he went missing in the Northern Crater but even then, she felt like she had lost him to Sephiroth’s manipulation. She wanted so badly to believe that he was the ‘real’ Cloud but nothing made sense anymore. If he was ‘real’, how could he know everything about Nibelheim? If he was ‘fake’, how did he recall details of their childhood?

Tifa shook her head frantically. That’s exactly what Sephiroth wanted; to make everyone doubt Cloud, even Cloud himself. And he succeeded. Here Cloud was, trapped in his own mind, believing his life wasn’t his own and that he had no one by his side. If Cloud had no one who believed in him, who would be there to help him?

She sighed and raised her head to look into Cloud’s blurry eyes. She wouldn’t let any of that become a reality. Even if there was no hope for Cloud to beat his poisoning, Tifa was not going to let him think he was alone. She was going to stay by his side.

No matter how long it took, she was going to wait until it was time for Cloud to come back to them.

“It’s okay, Cloud.” She gently took his limp hands into hers. “When you find your way back to us, I’ll be here.”

* * *

She couldn’t believe it…

Tifa reluctantly knelt down next to him as he clutched his head, bittersweet memories of hers resurfacing. She gently placed a hand on his arm. “Cloud?”, she asked in disbelief.

Unlike the other times, Cloud didn’t cry out in pain. If anything, he looked… at peace. He slowly looked up at her, clear recognition on his face. “Tifa… We finally meet again,” he said with a small smile.

Tifa felt tears stream down her face.

He was back.

He was back.

Cloud was _back_.

“Oh, Cloud!” Tifa lunged forward to hug him. Still disorientated, Cloud slowly hugged her back. “It’s really you! I thought you were gone forever!”

“I’m sorry…”, he muttered. Tifa could hear his voice breaking up.

She pulled the two of them apart to look into his eyes. “Don’t you dare apologise!” She couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. “I’m just- I’m so happy you found your way back,” she whispered.

Cloud reached out to softly brush hair away from her face. “Couldn’t have done it without you,” Cloud said.

Tifa felt tendrils of the lifestream brush against her skin and she flinched away, closer to Cloud, who instinctively wrapped an arm around her. The two of them stared at each other for a long moment. This was it. After weeks of being torn apart, Cloud and Tifa finally found each other again.

She leaned her head on Cloud’s shoulder with a relieved sigh. Their journey was far from over but with Cloud on the mend and regaining his sense of self, she had hope that all their suffering was going to be worth it in the end.

Tifa felt Cloud wrap his arms around her as they were pulled out of the lifestream. She wasn’t afraid. Not while he was with her.

* * *

Cloud could sense when Tifa was deep in thought. It was when she was unusually quiet that he knew something weighed heavily on her mind. Looking down at the destruction below them, he couldn’t blame her. Everything they knew was gone, meaning the only thing they could do was rebuild.

But Cloud knew that wasn’t what was on Tifa’s mind in that moment.

He wordlessly took her hand into his, squeezing it gently. The action seemed to draw Tifa from her thoughts as she tore her gaze away from the devastation. “Sorry, I was just-”

Cloud sighed. “You don’t need to apologise. I’m just worried.”

Tifa frowned. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

“You don’t have to pretend to be alright, Tifa.”

“I’m not,” she harshly insisted, quickly apologising for her bluntness. “I just don’t know what to do.”

“You’re not alone in that.”

She looked out to the horizon. Cloud followed her gaze. “I know. Doesn’t make it easier.”

“It could be… if we talked about it.”

He felt Tifa squeeze his hand back. “That could work.”

“So, what are you worried about?”

He heard Tifa take in a shaky breath. “That this isn’t the end. That there’s still so much left for us to lose…” Tifa gasped out and Cloud turned to see Tifa looking down from the Highwind, her tears dropping to the ground below. “We’ve already lost so much…”

Keeping his hand in Tifa’s, Cloud wrapped his other arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close. “You’re not gonna lose anything else.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because you have me, Barret and everyone else. We’re all still here. I know it’s scary, but there’s so much waiting for you, Tifa.” He paused. “And- And I’ll be here. Always."

Tifa let out a light laugh through her tears. She reached up to wipe at her eyes. “Thank you, Cloud.”

“It’s nothing.”

He felt Tifa’s free arm wrap around his front so she was holding onto his shoulder and leaned into his embrace. “There’s so much waiting for as well, Cloud. You know that, right?”

Cloud had paused at that. When he didn’t respond for a while, Tifa looked up at him in worry. He seemed to notice her concern since he looked down at her and gave a reluctant smile. “Yeah.”

* * *

“I think I’m going to be okay this time. Because I have you.”

“You’ve always had me.”

* * *

“He’s not here, anymore,” she muttered bitterly as she heard the phone ring.

It had been a good few months since Cloud had up and disappeared from their lives. If Tifa was being completely honest, it wasn’t Cloud leaving her that broke her down. It was the fact that he left the children _and_ without saying goodbye. Not to mention, Denzel had been feeling that Cloud’s disappearance was to do with him and his illness and no amount of Tifa’s reassurance could comfort him.

She just had no idea what went wrong. Cloud had seemed happy for the last few weeks that she felt like they finally starting to feel like a normal family. She and Cloud had days where they wouldn’t get along, but that was normal for any family. They always worked it out in the end. They always found a way.

 _Apparently, not anymore_ , Tifa reminded herself.

Cloud never answered her calls, only taking voicemails that informed him of a new delivery job brought his way. It seemed like all that talk of being there for each other and having each other’s back wasn’t as true as she thought. She just hoped that Cloud would answer the phone one day and _talk_ to her. Maybe then they could sort out whatever was wrong with him.

Until then, she just had to wait.

She knew Cloud would come back to them.

No matter what, he always showed up.

* * *

Cloud couldn’t hide his smile as he watched everyone cheer and shout. The Geostigma had finally been cured and seeing his friends and family celebrate around him made him feel light and hopeful.

 _You see?_ , a familiar voice asked. _Everything’s alright._

And Cloud knew in his heart that that was true. Everything _was_ alright. Sephiroth was gone for good, he had people he loved all around him and it seemed like he could _finally be_ _happy_.

Tifa had helped Denzel and Cloud out of the spring of healing water. She brought the child into her arms and looked for herself to see his Geostigma was cured. She didn’t try to stop the tears as she hugged him tighter. The boy she was afraid of losing to the illness was finally safe and sound.

While Denzel had gone to celebrate with Marlene, Tifa slowly approached Cloud. She didn’t know what had happened to him after the fight with Sephiroth had ended but she couldn’t express her relief when she found him here.

_Alive._

She took him by the shoulders. “You okay?”

Cloud continued smiling as he took one of Tifa’s hands off his shoulders so he could hold it in his own. “I am now.”

Neither Cloud nor Tifa could hide their tears. Tifa surged forward and Cloud enveloped her in his arms. She was sobbing into shoulder and Cloud rested his forehead on top of Tifa’s hair, letting the tears flow from his eyes.

It felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted off both of their souls. One that had been pressing down on them ever since the incident in Nibelheim. Sephiroth was ultimately gone from their lives and, with him, the burdens and guilt that followed Cloud and Tifa wherever they went.

They had been tormented and torn apart for most of their lives but, now, it felt like nothing would subject them to those sorrows ever again.

“It’s over, isn’t it?”, she whispered to him, the hope clear in her voice.

“Yeah…” Cloud held her tighter, as if trying to stop anything that could separate them. “Yeah, it’s over.”

_Finally._

Finally, it seemed like they were back together for good.

Finally, everything seemed to be on the mend.

Finally, they could rebuild their lives _together_.

“Home?”, he asked.

He felt Tifa nodded against his chest. “Home.”

Cloud had no idea what the future held for them.

But that was fine.

Because he knew one thing: no matter what was thrown their way, he and Tifa would always be by each other’s sides.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this one!! :)))
> 
> Twitter: @xvsylleblossoms


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